A Broken Wing
by EyesOfEmeraldFire
Summary: Jack took a seat on the edge of the bunk beside her and folded his hands in his lap, gnawing at his lip as he tried to find the right words. But how on earth was he supposed to say it? How do you tell such a precious child that her family wouldn't be coming back to her? Survival AU Cora goes to live with Jack and Rose after the sinking
1. Aftermath

"Cora..." Jack called softly, entering the little room below Carpathia's decks.

The devastated little girl sat there on her bunk, clinging tightly to her doll, her sweet face red and soaked with the tears of her grieving. Jack couldn't understand why this had happened to such an angel.

"Cora? Hey...Its Uncle Jack...Can I sit with you?" He asked softly again, trying to get some sort of reaction out of her. Cora didn't speak, though. She just gave a very slight nod of approval which was almost to slight to even notice at all.

Jack took a seat on the edge of the bunk beside her and folded his hands in his lap, gnawing at his lip as he tried to find the right words. But how on earth was he supposed to say it?

How do you tell such a precious child that her family wouldn't be coming back to her?

"We're pretty lucky, huh Cora?" He started, giving her a warm little smile, even though his heart was breaking for her.

Cora just shrugged a little, still not speaking. The poor girl was traumatized. Jack hated it for her, and he hated the son of a bitching devil that did this to her even more than that.

"Mommy...?" Cora suddenly spoke up, voice quiet and trembling as she turned to look at Jack with big wet brown eyes.

"Cora..." Jack sighed, putting an arm gently around the child to comfort her. Cora knew her father hadn't made it out alive, but her mother was a different story. She'd still been holding onto a little hope that she'd see her again.

How could Jack do it? How could he crush that hope?

"She said she'd be here..." Cora whimpered, the tears starting to stream down her chubby little pink cheeks once more. Jack wanted to cry with her.

"Cora she...she um..." He tried to get out, desperate to tell her but to not at the same time.

Cora sniffled and turned to look back out the window again, hugging her dolly tight. She didn't need Jack to tell her. She could see it in his eyes what he wanted to say.

Jack's heart cringed when Cora began to sob.

"Oh Cora..." He sighed, standing and gently lifting her into his arms to hug her tightly. "My best girl..."

Cora held into Jack tightly, sobbing and whimpering with grief as he sat back down on the edge of the bed, rocking gently back and forth in an attempt to soothe her.

"Mommy..." Cora whimpered. "Mommy...Daddy..."

"Shh, sweetheart..." Jack whispered, continuing to rock her. "It's gonna be okay. I promise."

Cora just kept crying, without a glimmer of a thought to stop. That was okay, though. Jack understood. He knew what it was like to lose a family at such a young age. The grief was horrible.

"Come Josephine on my flying machine..." He started to sing softly to his little angel, still rocking her back and forth and holding her tightly against him, her little arms wrapped around his neck. "...Going up she goes...Up she goes..." He continued.

Cora sniffled and squeezed him tighter, clinging to the only one she had left in the world.

"...Up she goes..." Jack continued to sing. "Up she goes..."

Cora, eyes still dripping with the tears of her grief, turned her head on Jack's shoulder so that she could look into his face while he sang to her.

"Balance yourself like a bird on a beam..." Jack sang softer, using his finger to wipe a tear from her cheek. "In the air she goes, There she goes..."

Cora sniffled and quivered in his arms as he kept rocking gently.

"You're gonna come live with Uncle Jack, okay Cora?" He informed her. "I'll take good care of you."

Cora's little lip quivered and she hurried her face in Jack's shoulder again to sob.

Jack gently stroked through her soft brown curls as he continued to rock them and sing to her.

"Up, up a little bit higher...Oh my the moon is on fire..." He sang, placing a soft kiss on Cora's little cheek.

The cabin door creaked open a crack and Rose peeked in. Jack sighed and gave her a deeply upset frown. Rose returned the look and wiped at her own face that with the blanket she'd been covered in before.

They were parents now, before they were even married.

TBC


	2. Adoption

"You know this won't be easy?" Rose sighed, holding tightly to Jack's hand while they waited outside the door of the social worker's little office.

"I know." Jack nodded. "But I don't care. I'm all she's got. We have to do this."

Rose gave his hand a squeeze. "I know." She whispered. "We will."

"Cosa mi sono perso?" Fabrizio asked, strolling up to the little building, one hand stuffed into his pocket while the other held a bag of kettle corn.

"Not much." Jack told him. "They're still talkin to Cora."

"The poor thing. I doubt she wants to discuss any of what's happened." Rose sighed, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Miss Cora, she is'a strong." Fabrizio offered. "She be a'okay."

Jack nodded in agreement. It was true, he'd never met a child stronger in all his days. Cora reminded him a lot of himself at that age.

"Tommy, he say a'complimenti to you." Fabri spoke up again, passing on Tommy's message of congratulations on the impending adoption.

"Have you been to see him today?" Jack asked.

"Yes. He doing better. Hes a'sitting up now. They say he'll be perfetto a'soon."

"Lucky bastard." Jack shook his head. "Anybody else would be dead right now."

"Luck of a'the Irish." Fabrizio replied with a smile.

Jack and Rose both cracked a little smile. Fabrizio had picked that phrase up from the leprechaun himself.

"Mr. Dawson?" A soft, feminine voice called suddenly, bringing all of their attention back to the situation at hand. In the doorway of the little office building stood a skinny blonde woman with a clipboard in her hands. Cora stood next to her, hands clasped out infront of her body as she gnawed at her lip anxiously.

"Hey best girl." Jack smiled, picking Cora up and kissing her cheek. Cora wrapped her little arms around his neck in a sweet hug.

"Mr. Dawson?" The woman at the door called again, forcing Jack to look back around at her. "Mrs. Finch would like to speak with you and Mrs. Dawson now." She told him.

Jack nodded to her and gently sat Cora down. "Ofcourse, just give me a second." He replied, before turning to Fabrizio.

"Take her to see Lady Liberty, Fabri." He told his friend, while running a gentle hand through Cora's brown curls. "I know you've both been dying to see her."

Fabrizio's face lit up and he took Cora's little hand. "Come sweet a'Cora." He told her with a bright smile. "Lady Liberty, she is a'waiting."

Cora held his hand tightly and skipped along next to him down the streets. Jack watched them go with a smile. At least Cora seemed to be adjusting a little better.

"Mr. Dawson?" The woman at the door called again. "Come along now."

Jack forced himself to look away from Cora and Fabrizio disappearing in the crowd when Rose grabbed his hand and started to lead him inside.

"My condolences," the blonde woman spoke up while she led them through a narrow white hallway. "I can't imagine the horrors you've both witnessed."

"We'd rather not discuss it please, Miss." Rose replied. "But thank you for your sympathies."

"Ofcourse." The woman nodded, opening a door at the end of the hallway as white as the walls. An older woman dressed in a fine black silk dress sat behind a desk, writing with a quill in one of her books.

"Mrs. Finch?" The blonde woman called.

"Margaret, I'm working." The older woman replied, not looking up from her writing.

"Mam, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson are here to speak with you." The blonde then told her boss. The older woman looked up immediately this time.

"Leave us, Margaret." She then told her assistant, after looking Jack and Rose up and down thoroughly.

"Yes mam." The blonde complied with a slight nod before sucking out of the room and shutting the door.

"Please..." Mrs. Finch beckoned to Jack and Rose. "Have a seat, both of you. We've much to discuss."

Jack led Rose to a pair of seats in front of the old woman's desk, still tightly holding onto her hand.

"Before I begin I would like to express my greatest sympathies to you both, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson." Mrs. Finch said, closing the book on her desk up and setting it aside before turning to look Jack and Rose both in the eye.

Rose felt a shiver go up her spine. This woman reminded her of her mother, with her greying red hair pulled tightly back into a neat bun, piercing blue eye, and her obvious sharp cheek bones sticking out of her face. The fine, dark wardrobe was the icing on the cake and it was making Rose quite uncomfortable. Jack was going to have to do most of the talking here. She wasn't sure that she could.

"Thank you, mam." Jack replied to Mrs. Finch. "But um..If it's all the same to you, the missus and I would rather keep it all in the past."

Mrs Finch nodded to Jack. "I should expect nothing less." She said, pushing her glasses up her nose where they'd fallen much too low.

"So what about Cora?" Jack then asked, wanting to get straight down to the point.

Mrs. Finch sighed deeply. "She's in quite a state, Mr. Dawson." She told Jack. "But of course that is to be expected. She's been through quite an ordeal."

"When can I take her home?" Jack asked then, wanting to change the subject. Mrs. Finch's eyes widened at his eagerness.

"Well Mr. Dawson, I think you should know of the girl's needs before considering adoption, don't you?" She asked, voice beginning to get firmer.

"With all due respect, miss, there's no considering that's gonna be done." Jack stated firmly yet as kindly as he possibly could. "We're adopting her. That's what gonna happen."

Rose gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, letting him know she was onboard all the way.

"Mr. Dawson, I'm afraid that's not how things are done here." Mrs. Finch replied to Jack, grabbing a file out of a drawer in her desk and opening it up. "There are many things that need to be taken into consideration before I even decide that you are fit to care for the child..."

"Her name is Cora."Jack stated. "And WE are more than fit to take care of her." Rose gave a nod in agreement.

"Even if YOU are..." Mrs. Finch continued. "I must inspect all other members of the household before releasing her into your custody." She opened the file and fixed her glasses again, reading from one of the documents inside. "And I see here you've listed a Mr. Thomas J. Ryan, and a Mr. Fabrizio M. De Rossi as added members of the immediate family?"

"That's right." Jack confirmed.

"They're very good men, both of them." Rose spoke up finally. "I assure you, Mrs. Finch, they can be trusted."

Mrs finch looked from Jack to Rose. "I'm afraid the law prevents me from simply taking your word for it Mrs. Dawson." She told her, pushing her glasses up once more. "I will need to meet with both of these men and determine myself whether or not they are to be trusted with the child."

"Cora." Jack stated again. He was getting rather angry.

"Mrs. Finch, Mr. Ryan is in the hospital at the moment." Rose intervened, sensing Jack's unrest. "I'm afraid he won't be able to see you for a few days at least."

Mrs. Finch sighed. "Well that will delay the process considerably." She informed them.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"Well, until I've determined that you're providing a positive, safe environment for the child..." Mrs. Finch began.

"Cora." Jack corrected her, anger rising.

"Right, Cora." Mrs Finch nodded. "I'm afraid she'll have to stay temporarily with the sisters at St. Mary's Girl's Home down the street."

"An orphanage?" Rose asked, horrified.

"No way. I'm not letting that happen. She's coming with me. Today." Jack insisted, voice firm and determined.

"Well Mr. Dawson, I'm afraid that just isn't how things are done..." Mrs. Finch started to say.

"Mam I don't care how things are done." Jack cut her off. "Cora's not going to an orphanage. Not while I'm still standing."

"Jack..." Rose tried to calm him.

"No. I'm taking Cora with me. Whatever I've gotta do to make that happen I'll do it. I'll sign any paper, answer any question, but I'm taking her with me, today." Jack stated to Mrs. Finch once more. The serious expression painted on his normally cheerful face said it all. He wasn't leaving here without Cora.

...

"Mr. Ryan, you have visitors." A nurse told Tommy, who cracked a tired eye open to looked at her from his hospital bed.

"Good. Send 'em in." He yawned, then holding his bandaged chest at the pain the suddenly movement caused.

The nurse nodded and left the room, where Jack, Rose, Fabrizio, and Cora entered in her place.

"Took ye' long enough didn't it?" He grinned at them. "I thought ye' were comin' back at noon."

"We got a little side tracked." Jack explained, swinging Cora's little hand in his.

"That's fine, boyo. How'd it go?" Tommy asked with a groan, still holding his side with one arm as he spoke.

"Sei nel dolore..." Fabrizio muttered under his breath, hurrying to Tommy's bedside.

"I'm fine." Tommy assured him. "Did ye' get me my cigarettes?"

"Not a'now." Fabrizio tried to convince him. "I get the nurse. You need a'more morphine."

"Dammit, I'm fine I tell ye'." Tommy said again, holding his free hand out. "Just give me a cigarette, Fabri. That'll do more than these shite drugs are."

Fabrizio sighed and dug into his pocket for an extra cigarette and lit one up when he found it for Tommy.

"Bless ye', Fabri." Tommy all but whispered as he placed the cigarette between his lips and took a long drag.

"Jack, not a'now." Fabrizio pleaded softly to Jack. "He's in pain."

"What was that, Fabri?" Tommy asked. He might have been injured but he still had ears like a hawk.

"We need a favor." Jack told him.

"A favor?" Tommy asked, taking his cigarette between his fingers and blowing a couple of smoke rings towards the window so Cora didn't have to smell the smoke. "What kind of favor? I ain't in shape to be liftin' kegs er nothin' Laddie."

"Nothing like that." Rose smiled at Tommy. "It's about Cora. If we want to take her home today the social worker has to interview everyone in the household."

Tommy gave a look of confusion the grinned when he realized what exactly was going on. "Don't tell me ya dragged the lads down here to speak with little old me?" He chuckled before grabbing his side again in pain.

"Destino..." Fabrizio muttered, worriedly, reaching for him.

"Fabri, I'm fine." Tommy insisted again. "It's just a wee bit sore is all."

"Are you sure you're well enough?" Rose asked worriedly. "We can wait a while longer if..."

"Bring her in." Tommy said, putting out his cigarette to look a bit more presentable.

"You're sure you're okay?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll never be to sick to help this sweet little gem." Tommy replied, giving Cora a smile. "Now bring the lass in, before Fabri had the doc knock me out again."

Jack and Rose smiled at eachother and Jack squeezed Cora's hand. This was it. After this they'd officially be a family.

TBC


	3. Life Anew

Jack awoke in the middle of the night to a tiny hand in his face.

He groaned and opened his eyes up to find Cora sleeping in the space between himself and Rose in their rickety hotel bed.

Upon returning back to the room from finishing up with the adoption, Jack had laid their new daughter in Fabrizio's empty bed. He wouldn't be using it anyway, given he'd been sleeping over at the hospital with Tommy since coming to New York. The sheets of his bed hadn't even been touched.

Cora didn't seem to think much of her private mattress, though, and at some point in the night she had climbed from Fabri's bed in favor of a small open spot between Jack and Rose.

It wasn't a big deal. Jack wouldn't want to sleep alone either after all they'd been through in the past few days, and it was sorta sweet to have Cora's little warm body snuggled up against the both of them. It really made this whole new family thing feel real.

Jack took the tiny hand gently in his and kissed it and Cora stirred slightly, laying one arm across his chest and shoving her feet at Rose, who let out a quite giggle.

"You awake Mama?" Jack whispered, careful not to wake their sleeping little angel.

"How could I sleep?" Rose whispered back, opening her eyes up and smiling warmly at little Cora.

"She been kicking you?" Jack asked, amused.

Rose nodded. "But I don't mind it." She said, gently stroking a small brown curl out of Cora's sweet face. "She's beautiful, Jack."

"Yeah...She sure is something huh?" He replied, grinning while he watched his new daughter sleep peacefully, as if the horrible tragedy that had taken place just days before had never happened.

"I don't know how we're going to provide for her." Rose sighed, finally bringing up the one topic they'd both been trying to avoid.

"Look..." Jack whispered. "It's just gonna take a little time to get settled is all. Me and Fabri are gonna get work somewhere then we'll get a place once we've got enough saved."

"Jack I don't wanna raise her in this little cramped room." Rose sighed. "And besides that, don't you think we need some privacy?"

"Rosie..." Jack breathed, tiredly. "It's just gonna take a little time is all."

"You know we won't be able to afford anything around here with only two of us working." Rose reminded him.

"Tommy won't be able to do much for a few months at least, Rose." Jack replied with a yawn. "You know that."

"I know..." Rose admitted, chewing her lip nervously.

"What's on your mind?" Jack asked her.

"You won't be mad if I tell you?" Rose asked him.

"Of course not." Jack promised. "What is it?"

Cora stirred suddenly and rolled over to where she was snuggled against Rose. She smiled at her and kissed a sweet little pink cheek. It seemed to give her the extra boost of strength she needed to share her thoughts with Jack.

"I thought maybe...I could go to work..." She told him, looking up from Cora to meet her lover's eyes.

Jack's eyes widened. "Did I hear right?" He asked. "Ms. Rose Dewittbukater wants to go to WORK?" He smiled a little at her.

"It's not funny, Jack. I mean it. I wanna do my part here. I'm not just a woman, I'm a person you know." Rose started to argue.

"Okay, okay, Rosie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Jack assured her. "I was just trying to lighten the mood a little."

"Well it didn't work." Rose muttered back at him.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Jack yawned. "But if you really wanna try to find work, that's fine with me. I don't wanna keep you from doing anything you wanna do."

Rose smiled warmly at him. "I love you, Jack." She told him.

Jack grinned back at her and leaned carefully over Cora to kiss her.

"How do you think Tommy's gonna handle baby sitting duty then?" Jack asked with an amused smirk, trying to hold his laughter in at the thought so he didn't wake Cora.

"He'll just have to get used to it." Rose smiled back, laying her head back down on her pillow and closing her eyes.

"G'night Mama." Jack smiled at her.

"Goodnight, Papa." Rose replied softly with a long yawn.

Jack turned to look at the little sleeping girl between them.

"Goodnight, My best girl." He smiled at her, kissing her cheek before wrapping an arm around her and laying back down to sleep again.

He'd never felt so whole before.

...

"Bring work home with ya again?" Tommy asked Rose while the red headed woman worked hard at stitching lace frilling onto a dark green satin dress.

"Yes I did, and I've got a lot of it to finish before tomorrow." Rose replied, wincing when she accidentally stuck her finger with the needle. "Will you hang the laundry out for me?" She sighed, rubbing the injured digit with her other hand.

Tommy rolled his eyes and held his side as he stood up. "Might as well stitch me a dress and bonnet to match..." He grumbled. Rose ignored him. Tommy had been grouchy since he hadn't been able to go to work with the other men, and it didn't make him feel any better to have to be the one baby sitting Cora all day while doing the laundry, dishes, and most of the cooking. That was women's work, and he was a man. It made him feel like a sissy. Rose couldn't necessarily blame him though. She understood the whole idea must have been pretty emasculating.

"Miss Rose?" Cora asked, running over to her from where she'd been playing with her paper dolls on the bed.

Rose looked up immediately to her new daughter and smiled warmly. "Yes darling? What is it?" She asked.

"When's Uncle Jack coming home?" Cora asked, clinging tightly to Anna, the doll that she'd received from her parents before the sinking.

"It won't be long, honey." Rose assured the little girl. "Maybe another half hour or so. Why?"

"I made somethin' for him." Cora said. "Wanna see?"

"Of course, sweetie." Rose nodded, putting her work down for a moment.

"Yet ya can't put it down long enough to save me my dignity?" Tommy grumbled, carrying the basket of laundry over to the window to hang from the line outside.

"You just hush." Rose scolded him, like a mother would a child. "Whining isn't going to get you anywhere. I'm not treating you like a sick child anymore."

"No. You're treating me like a maid..." Tommy muttered in reply under his breath.

"Oh get off the rag, Tommy." Rose snapped at him. The comment shut him up but he looked ready to burst with anger.

"Look Miss Rose." Cora smiled, coming back over to the chair where Rose was sitting, with a piece of paper in hand.

"Look." Cora grinned, showing Rose a sketch she'd done of Tommy earlier that day. "I'm gonna be an artist just like Uncle Jack."

Rose grinned as she took the drawing and looked it over. For a child so young it was really very good. She'd gotten the grouchy facial expression down at least.

"That's very good, Cora, I'm sure Jack will love it." She told her little child, who giggled and hurried back to the bed to continue dressing her paper dolls.

Tommy came back with the empty laundry basket and say it down in front of Rose, still muttering something about women's work and how he should be in the factory with Fabrizio and Jack.

"So you're modeling now too are you?" Rose picked at him.

"What?" Tommy all but growled.

"Cora showed me her little drawing. You should consider it, Tommy, you really do have quite a lovely figure." Rose giggled.

"That's it..." Tommy growled, walking out the door of the hotel room right as Fabrizio and Jack were walking in.

"Amore? Where you go?" Fabrizio called after him.

"The pub! I need a damned drink!" Tommy snarled back, stomping down the hallway angrily.

Rose put a hand over her mouth to hide her giggling but still got a knowing look from Jack.

"Rose, you know he's sensitive about not working." He sighed, running a hand over his tired, coal stained face.

"Well I'm sorry but he was acting like a child." Rose argued back, picking her stitching back up and continuing to work.

"Amore he don't a'like staying home." Fabrizio sighed, taking a seat on his own bed while wiping his own face with a cool rag. They'd had a long day at the steal mill.

"Well we can't help him any." Jack reminded his friend. "You heard the doctor. He's gotta take it easy for at least another two weeks."

"Maybe not." Fabrizio replied. "He's a'strong like a bull. Maybe he be well sooner than that?"

"Maybe." Jack nodded. Fabrizio was extremely optimistic and everyone knew never to crush his hopes. It was what made him, well, him.

"Whatever the case, someone needs to get him to stop acting like a wounded dog." Rose sighed. "He does nothing but mope around all day about how he used to be a man. I'm getting tired of it." She finished off the last stitch on the frilling of the dress and held it up in front of her to inspect thoroughly.

"I talk to him, Fiore." Fabrizio promised, going over to the little wash basin on the counter by the door to scrub his face and arms before dinner.

"Yeah, and please shut your curtain when you do." Jack reminded his friend, taking the towel off his shoulder and using it to wipe the soot from his own face. "We do have a child among us ya know? I don't want her seeing anything she doesn't need to."

"Promessa." Fabri nodded, drying his face with another towel.

Rose shook her head and folded the new dress neatly before placing it into her wicker basket.

She looked over to Cora again before picking up the trousers she needed to finish mending.

The little angel was sitting up on the bed, sweetly playing pretend with her dolls.

Rose smiled at her. Cora deserved the world, and by God Rose was going to give it to her, no matter what it took.

She took up her needle again and began her work. If she had to stitch a million pairs of pants and a million more dresses she'd do it, as long as they finally got their little Cora into a real home.

TBC


	4. Opportunities

"Miss Rose you've got wonderfully talented hands." Mrs. O'hara, Rose's boss, told her as she worked behind the counter on a new ball gown for the mayor's daughter.

"Thank you." Rose replied, focusing on her stitching. This was going to be a big pay off if done right and she couldn't afford to make a mistake. They were so close to having enough saved for an apartment of their own, if they only had a few more dollars.

"Really, Love, you've put this little shop of mine on the map with that work of yours." Mrs. O'hara continued on. She was a talker. It seemed to be an Irish thing, for Tommy could talk an ear off as well when he really got going.

"I'm just doing my job, mam." Rose smiled kindly while continuing to work. "It's nothing that special."

"Well you do wonderfully, dearie." Mrs. O'hara told her, stacking a few bolts of fabric on the shelf in the back room.

Things had been quiet in the little seamstress shop today. Not many customers came in on Monday, so Rose was taking advantage of the time to finish her current job early. The more she impressed the better the mayor would pay for the gown.

Her attention was drawn away from work, however, when the door opened up, ringing the little bell at its top.

"I'll be right with you." Rose assured the customer.

"Don't bother, Rosie. You're not gettin' me in a dress anytime soon. No matter how much dignity I've lost." Tommy's Irish accent replied as he walked into the shop, holding Cora's little hand.

Rose put her needle down and stood, smoothening her dress.

"Well what a surprise." She said with a smile. "What brings you two by today?"

Tommy looked down at little Cora. "Ye' wanna give yer Ma her lunch, little gem?" He asked her gently.

Cora nodded and skipped over to Rose behind the counter, presenting her with a tin lunch pail when she reached her.

"Here ya go." She said. "I helped make it. I hope it's good."

Rose accepted the gift and bent down to kiss Cora's forehead.

"Thank you, darling." She smiled at her, stroking a few stray brown curls out of her face before standing back up and giving Tommy a little peck on the cheek too.

"Ach! You want folks to be flappin' their tongues over us? Why'd ya do that?" He protested, pulling away from her and blushing.

"Because you brought me lunch and you're practically my brother now. Can I not give my big brother a little peck on the cheek?" Rose grinned in amusement while she picked Cora up and hugged her tight for a moment.

"Brother she says..." Tommy grumbled. "Maid is more like it..."

Rose chuckled and looked at Cora. "Is he still being a big grouch?" She asked.

Cora nodded with a big grin and Rose laughed harder.

"Say what ya will..." Tommy sighed, flicking through a couple of bolts of plain fabric for a new shirt.

"Rose, Darlin?" Mrs. O'hara called, fixing her hair as she stepped back into the shop from the back room. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Tommy.

"Well..." She muttered nervously. "Hello there..."

Tommy blushed awkwardly. "Hi." He replied.

"Rose, Dear, ye' didn't tell me your Jackie was such a handsome fella." Mrs. O'hara smiled timidly at Tommy, without even looking at Rose to speak.

"Oh he's not my Jack." Rose informed her, before Tommy extended a hand to Mrs. O'hara.

"Tommy Ryan..." He introduced himself.

"Katherine O'hara." Mrs. O'hara replied, eyes twinkling suggestively at Tommy. Rose had to step in before things got too awkward.

"Um Tommy? Didn't you promise to take Cora to get an ice cream this morning?" She reminded her friend, giving him a serious look.

"Huh?" Tommy asked, looking over at her, realizing then at her look what she was trying to say. "Oh! Right! Come along now Cora. Gotta hurry or they'll run out." He called, holding a hand out to the little girl when Rose say her back down.

"Bye Rose!" Cora called, waving back to her adoptive mother with a sweet smile as she took Tommy's hand.

"Bye sweetheart." Rose waved back. "Be good for Uncle Tommy."

"Aw she's an angel straight from the lord himself." Tommy smiled at Cora, before leading her back towards the door of the shop. "Bye Rose." He waved to her then tipped his hat to Mrs. O'hara. "Pleasure to meet ye', miss." He told her before heading out the door with his little charge.

Mrs. O'hara fanned herself with one hand. "My, quite the looker isn't he?" She commented.

Rose bit her lip to hold in a laugh. "Yes indeed..." She agreed, heading back to her work.

"What on God's green earth is a man like him doin' all by his lonesome?" Mrs. O'hara asked then, watching out the window as Tommy walked down the street with a skipping Cora.

"He's not alone." Rose told her. She hated to crush her dreams but Fabrizio could get awfully possessive.

"Oh is he not then?" Mrs. O'hara frowned, stepping away from the window with a sigh. "Well good for the lad, but a shame for this old widow now isn't it? A nice lass is she? I hope she treats him well."

Rose swallowed hard. "She um...Yes. She is. Treats him very well, mam, I assure you." She lied through her teeth. Technically it was the truth. Fabrizio treated Tommy like a prince, but there was the itty bitty fact that he wasn't a she that was twisting Rose's honesty.

"Well that's good. I'm glad he's got a good one." Mrs. O'hara sighed as Rose finished up her last few stitches on the gown.

"Can I take a few minutes for lunch?" She asked Mrs. O'hara, putting her needle away again. "I need to run this gown by the mayor's office.

"Of course, Deary. Go right ahead." Mrs. O'hara replied, a sad expression on her face as she mourned yet another young bachelor slipping through her fingers.

"Thank you." Rose nodded appreciatively, carefully folding the gown and setting it in her wicker mending basket.

She left the little shop with her lunch in one hand and the basket in the other, hurrying down the busy New York streets towards city hall. She had to hail a taxi halfway there, but after that the journey was smooth sailing.

When she finally reached city hall and was allowed entrance to the mayor's office, she found him chatting with a man she'd never seen before, dressed all in finery and a long top hat.

"Ah, Mrs Dawson, how lovely to see you again." The mayor smiled at Rose, kissing her hand.

"The pleasures all mine." She replied with a polite curtsy. Part of her mind was still trapped up in a first class cotillion.

"What brings you by my dear?" The mayor asked her. "Surely you haven't finished Annabelle's gown yet. It wasn't supposed to be ready until next week."

Rose smiled proudly as she took the navy blue gown from the basket and presented it to him. "Here it is." She grinned.

"Wonderful!" The mayor exclaimed, taking the gown from Rose and having one of his maids take it to another room, presumably to his daughter. "You're a master with a needle and thread, my dear." He then told Rose as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

Rose's heart should have been fluttering with excitement, knowing this payment would earn her family a brand new apartment of their very own, but for the time being her attention was focused on the mayor's strange companion who'd been staring at her the whole time she had been there.

"Beautiful..." The man finally spoke up as he looked her up and down.

Rose's expression turned serious. "Excuse me?" She asked, wanting to be sure she was hearing just what she thought she was.

"Why you, my darling." The man replied with a smile, reaching out and touching Rose's cheek gently. She pulled away and gave the man a glare.

"Oh it's quite alright, Mrs. Dawson." The mayor laughed a little. "Mr. Cambridge is just admiring your potential talent is all."

"Potential..." Rose started to question, still keeping a close eye on the strange top hat man.

"I'm a director, my fiery haired dove." The man clarified, removing his top hat. "And you, my lovely, would make a fine actress..."

Rose crinkled her nose. She could smell a scam brewing.

"Marcus? We are short a Juliette for the gala production." The mayor reminded his friend. "Perhaps Mrs. Dawson could lend us her talent for the night?"

"Talent?" Rose asked. "What talent? I've never even tried to act."

"Ah but I can see, my dear, that you would be a natural." The top hat man tried, taking one of her hands in his.

"I...I don't think..." Rose tried to refuse.

"Let's say you audition for us, Mrs. Dawson?" The mayor requested. "Just give it a try and I'll double the payment due on Annabelle's gown."

Rose couldn't hide the gasp she let out.

Double the pay? That could pay for the new school dress Cora needed, plus new shirts for the boys and maybe even a boot repair for Jack.

How could she possibly refuse all of that?

TBC


	5. A Home At Last

"That's good." Jack praised Cora as he sat at the dining table with the girl and watched her draw a picture of the case sitting in front of her. "You're getting better and better everyday."

"Thank you, Uncle Jack." Cora replied with a proud smile, focusing on her work.

Jack was really impressed with how much she'd been improving lately. The art lessons he'd been giving her were really paying off.

"Testardo vecchio pazzo!" Fabrizio cursed from the other side of the curtain they'd hung for privacy.

Cora looked up from her drawing to see what all the commotion was about.

"Uh oh." Jack sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder gently to calm her.

Fabrizio came stomping out from behind the curtain, heading for the door and cursing and cursing in his native tongue.

"Yeah you go ahead and run. Run and shout to the world how impossible I am." Tommy replied to his cursing, stepping up behind him with a cigarette between his lips and a glass of whiskey in one hand.

"Bastardo!" Fabrizio snapped at him before stepping out the front door and slamming it hard behind and Cora jumped in surprise.

"Nice show huh? Enjoy it did ye'?" Tommy asked, turning back towards them from the door while sipping from his whiskey.

"What happened?" Jack asked, shocked. "I've never seen you fight like that."

"Aw he's blind as a bat with that optimism a' his." Tommy replied, taking his cigarette out and blowing a puff of smoke out the window.

"So what's new about that? He's always been that way." Jack said.

"Oh you'll never guess..." Tommy replied, shaking his head.

Cora went back to drawing her picture while the men talked, having no interest in anything of the adult nature.

"What? Is he still trying to put that restaurant idea into action? Cause actually it's not that bad of a plan." Jack guessed.

"No. I've managed to dodge that one for awhile. It's worse this time." Tommy said.

"Just tell me. I'm to tired to play the guessing game." Jack yawned.

"Ya won't believe it." Tommy told him. "He wants to have a baby!"

Cora looked back up, suddenly interested in the conversation, and Jack's eyes widened.

"Uh...He knows that um...two sticks don't make a fire...right?" Jack asked, trying to use some figurative language so that Cora wouldn't catch on to how babies were made.

"Don't be an arsehole, Jackie. He wants to adopt." Tommy clarified while Jack laughed with Cora.

"Well what's the problem with that?" Jack asked.

"I'm not ready! That's what's wrong with it!" Tommy exclaimed.

"Uncle Tommy is the baby gonna be in your tummy? Or Uncle Fabri's?" Cora asked with curious eyes. "I didn't know Daddies could have babies."

Jack laughed harder and Tommy sighed, running a hand over his frustrated face.

"Ye' see where Fabri's nonsense gets us?" He groaned.

"Go have a few rounds at the bar, Tommy." Jack advised him, still chuckling in amusement. "It'll make ya feel a lot better."

Tommy sighed and headed for the door while Jack sat, still laughing with Cora on his lap.

"I'll be the best big cousin ever." Cora smiled, looking back down at her picture and continuing to draw.

"I'm sure you will be." Jack chuckled. The situation had distracted him from the worry that clouded his mind.

Where was Rose at?

...

"I don't see why you wanted me to do this, sir." Rose sighed to the mayor as she looked over the lines of her script.

"Because Mrs. Dawson, I do believe Mr. Devons is right." The mayor replied. "You would make a fine actress."

"But I've never acted before in my life." Rose protested.

"Everyone has to start somewhere don't they?" The mayor replied with a smile.

"Mrs. Rose Dawson?" A woman called to her from the auditorium.

Rose looked nervously from the woman to the mayor.

"All you have to do is try, my dear." He assured her. "Do that and I'll pay double for Annabelle's ball gown."

Rose took in a deep breath and stood from her seat, taking the script along with her.

"Right this way, madam." The young woman at the door told her, leading her into the auditorium and up onto the stage.

Marcus Devons, the director she'd met before was sitting at a long wooden table with two other men and two older women in front of the stage.

"Here's our Juliet, everyone!" Mr. Devons exclaimed to his companions as Rose walked up onto the stage. "Be sure you pay close attention!"

"We have twelve girls lined up to read for us, Marcus." One of the older women reminded him. "I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch."

Rose curtsied to them, as she would have done at one of her old ballet recitals her mother forced upon her.

"Welcome Mrs. Dawson." Mr. Devons greeted her with a smile. "Please, whenever you're ready."

Rose nodded and bit her lip.

"What's here?..." She began. "A cup, closed in my true love's hand?...Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end...O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop? To help me after? I will kiss thy lips...Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, To make me die with a restorative."

Surprisingly Rose forgot all about the people watching her, and the adoption of the character into her own heart and soul came quite easily to her.

"Thy lips are warm..." She continued, tears coming to her eyes as she imagined her own true love, Jack, in the same situation as poor Romeo.

"Lead boy! Which way!" Mr. Devons read from the script for Rose to play off of.

"Yea, noise?" Rose continued. "Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger, This is thy sheath. There rust and let me die." As best as she could Rose acted out a scene of death, falling at the end to her knees before keeling over onto the cold auditorium stage, eyes closed.

She was awaken by the applause of Mr. Devons and his companions.

"Brava Mrs. Dawson! Brava!" Mr. Devons exclaimed, before turning to his companions. "Didn't I tell you!? This is our Juliet!"

Rose smiled brightly and took a bow before them.

...

The door opened to the hotel room slowly with a creak and Jack looked up from where little Cora was sleeping soundly, dolly held tightly against her chest.

"Someone's home a little late." He whispered as Rose entered, closing the door carefully behind her.

The sound of bed springs was audible through the privacy curtain and she quickly made her way over to their own bed to avoid the noise putting unsightly visions in her mind.

"I have news." She told Jack as she sat beside him on the bed.

"You're not pregnant are you?" Jack asked, wrapping his arms around her and pecking her lips lightly.

"God No!" Rose replied. "I can't imagine trying to support another child now."

Jack chuckled and nuzzled against her neck. "Well what's the news then, Mama Rose?" He asked.

"We're going to have a home, Jack." Rose told him, reaching into her dress pocket and grabbing the check the mayor had written out to her. She showed it to Jack and his eyes widened in shock.

"Rose...I've never seen that much money at once..." He whispered in complete awe, taking the check in his own hands to inspect thoroughly.

"He paid me double and more." Rose smiled proudly.

"Why?...I mean How?" Jack asked, still utterly amazed.

Rose kissed him then grinned. "Remember when I told you I wanted to be a moving picture actress?" She asked him.

TBC


	6. New Beginnings

"Whoa..." Jack mouthed, stepping into their new apartment. "Nice place."

Rose followed behind him, Cora holding onto her hand, and Tommy and Fabrizio brought up the rear.

"A lot bigger than the hotel isn't it?" Rose agreed, leading Cora through the doorway.

"I've never lived in a place this nice." Jack admitted.

"Me neither." Tommy nodded, admiring the apartment upon entering behind little Cora.

"Destino! Look! A room for just us!" Fabrizio exclaimed excitedly, yanking Tommy's sleeve to get his attention.

"Yeah, that's a gift for us all." Jack told them. "Now we don't have to listen to you two..."

"Jack..." Rose hushed him sharply, giving him a look to remind him that Cora was with them and didn't need to hear about such vulgar things.

"Sorry." Jack nodded back, leaning down and lifting Cora up. "Let's go see your room, best girl." He told her, pecking her cheek and earning a smile from her sweet face.

"Amore, there is a'room for a nursery." Fabrizio mentioned to Tommy who sighed and ran a hand over his face in frustration.

"Do we gotta have this damn conversation again?" Tommy asked. "I told you I'm not ready."

"But I am a'ready." Fabrizio pleaded. "We can be a'ready together. Please Amore, My Destino, I beg you."

"Fabri..." Tommy sighed, taking his cigarette from his lips so he could be heard more clearly. "Not now."

Fabrizio's hopeful look faded and he got quiet.

"Boys, why don't you go explore your room?" Rose suggested, trying to brighten the mood a little. "It looks quite nice from what I can see."

Fabri shrugged and turned away from them. "I go..." He said, voice quiet. "A drink it will a'do me good."

Rose gave Tommy a glare after Fabri walked out, shutting the door to the apartment back behind him.

"What?" Tommy sighed.

"You know exactly what, mister. Don't play dumb with me." Rose replied sternly. Hands placed sassily on her hips.

"What am I supposed to do, Rose?" Tommy asked. "Do ye' know how big a commitment a baby is? Huh? Ye' think I'm ready for that yet? I'm only twenty one!"

"I'm eighteen, Thomas Ryan." Rose reminded him. "I was only seventeen when we took Cora in."

"That's different, Rosie!" Tommy protested. "You didn't have to do all the feedin' and burpin' and rockin' and changin' all through the day and all hours of the night!"

"I'm just asking that you give it some thought." Rose told him. "It would mean a lot to Fabrizio." She turned back towards the large sitting room window to look out at the little market across the street. "And who knows? You might even come to like the idea yourself."

"It's more like the devil himself will pass through the doors of a Catholic church house dosed in holy water." Tommy replied, walking off in the opposite direction to check out his bedroom.

Rose shook her head and opened the curtains up a bit more. The room was a little dull for her liking, and when the sun hit it it was painfully obvious. They needed some color.

"Rose?" A little hand tugged at her dress and she looked down into Cora's big brown eyes.

"Yes sweetie, what is it?" She asked, smiling down at her.

"Uncle Jack wants to go to the park." Cora told her. "Can we?"

Rose nodded. "Sure, I don't see why not." She replied, stroking a little brown curl from the little girl's face.

Cora bounced happily and juried off to Jack.

"Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack! She said yes!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand and jumping up and down with joy.

"Whoa slow down, best girl." He chuckled. "You'll trip and fall and cut up that pretty little face boppin' around like that."

Cora just laughed when Jack lifted her high up onto his shoulders.

"Be careful, Jack." Rose told her husband. "Keep an eye on her."

"I got it, I got it." Jack replied before they left the apartment. Cora waved to Rose before the door shut back completely.

Rose looked around the full little room and sighed. She was going to have to spruce this place up quite a bit before it was up to her standards.

"Tommy!" She called.

"What now?" Came the reply. "Ye' gonna yell at me for bein' afraid of spiders now too?"

"No. Get your boots on. We're going shopping."

Tommy blushed hard. "Shopping?" He asked.

Rose nodded and he ran a hand across his face dreadfully. Did she not understand that he was a man?

...

"Whatcha drawin?" Cora asked, coming over to sit by Jack on a park bench beneath a big willow in Central Park.

"That lady with the ducks." Jack replied, lifting his pencil and turning to show Cora his work.

"Whoa..." She gaped, admiring Jack's handy work. It looked exactly like the old woman out by the pond before them, dressed in colorful rags and feeding the ducks scraps of kettle corn and bread from an old burlap sack.

"Like it?" Jack asked Cora, who nodded and smiled back at him.

"I think they're lovely." She told him. "All of your pictures."

"Thanks, Best Girl." Jack grinned at her, ruffling her hair.

"Daddy and Mommy thought so too..." Cora continued. The joy in her voice began to fade.

Jack sighed and put an arm around her. "Hey?" He spoke up. "Ya know what?"

"Huh?" Cora asked, looking up into his eyes, her own growing wet with grief.

"It's been a long time since I've drawn my favorite little girl." Jack said with a grin. "Wanna strike a pose for me?"

Cora managed a little smile and nodded slowly to him.

"Great. How about over under that tree? The one with the pink flowers and the swing?" Jack suggested.

"Yeah, okay." Cora agreed, jumping down from the bench and hurrying off to the pretty pink blossom tree.

An old wooden swing hung from its largest branch, and Cora climbed up into it, sitting right in the middle and grabbing hold of the chain to her right.

"Great." Jack smiled, sitting down a little ways away, beneath another tree, where he had the best view to draw.

Suddenly, a little boy, who looked to be almost Cora's age, came running up to the swing and climbed up onto it with Cora.

"Hey! This is my..." Cora started.

"Whoa hold on Cora!" Jack stopped her. "That's perfect. Stay right there, Buddy. This'll be great."

Cora looked over to the little boy, who smiled brightly at her.

"I'm Peter." He said. "What's your name?"

Cora studied him for a minute before finally deciding he wasn't dangerous in any way.

"Cora..." She answered him. "Cora Candice Cartmell."

"That's a pretty name." Peter told her. "You're pretty too so that's good you've got a pretty name."

Cora gave a little smile and blushed.

Jack smiled at the pair while he worked on sketching them, happy that Cora was already off to a start at making new friends.

He would've been happier if this potential new friend wasn't a boy, though. It was that protective father instinct coming out in him.

...

"Put that one over on the couch." Rose instructed Tommy, who was currently holding a large canvas with one of Pablo Picaso's newest works painted on it.

"You've made me move this one twice already." Tommy complained.

"Because I don't like how the light has been hitting it from those angles." Rose explained. "We've been over this before."

"I swear, Rose, the more time I spend with you, the more I start to question my manhood." Tommy groaned in frustration.

"Well on the bright side, maybe our cycles will sync up." Rose grinned with amusement, before bursting out into laughter at the look Tommy gave in response.

"Ack! Why'd ye' have to say somethin' like that!?" He demanded, looking in disgust at her.

"Oh just hush and move the damn painting!" Rose laughed at him. "At least you don't really have a cycle to deal with."

"Eck! Stop with that gutter talk!" Tommy demanded, shaking his head and covering his ears after setting the painting down in the center of the couch.

Rose chuckled a little more before Jack came walking in with Cora.

"There's my little flock." She smiled at her family. "How was Central Park?"

"It was incredible." Jack said with a bright smile. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I made a friend!" Cora exclaimed, grabbing Rose's hands and growling her around with her in a circle.

"Aw how nice." Rose smiled. "What's her name?"

"It's a HE, Rosie." Jack corrected her.

"His names Peter." Cora said. "His Daddy makes moving pictures!"

"Oh really?" Rose asked. "That sounds very interesting. I'm happy you've made a friend."

"Me too!" Cora giggled with glee, before bounding off to her room.

"She seems quite happy. Good work, Daddy." Rose praised her husband before he planted a kiss on her mouth.

"I'm just glad I was able o cheer her up." Jack confessed. "She started thinking about her folks earlier and I thought it was gonna be another bad day. Ya know, like a few weeks ago when she saw that man that looked like her Dad pass the window?"

Rose sighed. "I hope she'll forget with time." She said, sadly.

"She'll never forget." Jack sighed. "It'll only get easier for her to deal with."

Rose nodded and Jack opened up his drawing book to show her the new picture.

"At least she seemed to have a nice time with her new little pal." He said, handing the book over to Rose.

"Oh Jack..." Rose gazed at the picture of Cora and Peter laughing on the old swing.

"Our little girl's growing up, Rose." He sighed.

Rose grinned up and him and placed another kiss on his lips.

"Feels like I'm in Romeo and Juliet." Tommy muttered, placing another painting next to the window.

Rose's mind suddenly sprang back to life and she realized her mistake.

"Oh! Rehearsal! I'm late!" She exclaimed in horror, pushing away from Jack and hurrying to the door for her coat and shoes.

TBC


	7. Starting Over

"School's starting tomorrow." Jack mentioned to Cora while they sat around their new dining room table, waiting for dinner.

Cora gave a shy little nod and filled her glass of water with the pitcher on her own.

"Are you excited?" Jack asked her with a smile.

Cora shrugged and nibbled on a biscuit.

"Leave the girl alone, Jackie." Tommy told his friend, coming over to the table and setting a large pot of stew down right in the middle.

"Nice apron, Suzette." Jack giggled at him, earning himself a slap to the side of the head.

"You shut up!" Tommy growled at him. "Rose wasn't here to cook and everyone's starving!"

"I think you look very allettante, destino." Fabrizio offered up, taking one of Tommy's hands and kissing it.

"You shut up too." Tommy muttered angrily, shedding the apron and taking his own seat at the table. "I'm not your damn house wife."

Jack chuckled and nudged Cora to join in on the humor. She seemed a little upset and he wasn't quite sure why.

"Want some stew?" He asked her after a few seconds, picking up the ladle and serving himself some first.

"Yes please." Cora nodded, gnawing a little on her biscuit again, nervously.

Jack served her as well before passing the pot onto Fabrizio.

"Where's Rose?" Cora asked then, looking up at Jack sadly.

"Oh...She's um, at her rehearsal for the big play." Jack replied through a mouth full of biscuit and stew.

"She should be home soon, little gem." Tommy assured their little charge. "I wouldn't worry."

"Sweet Cora? Why you look so sad?" Fabrizio then asked after that.

"Yeah, Cora what's wrong?" Jack piped up again, looking worriedly at his adopted daughter, who lowered her head sadly.

"I'm not hungry anymore." She simply said, lowering her head as she pushed back in her chair and climbed down from it to head back to her room.

Jack put his spoon down and swallowed hard. "Cora..." He called after her, wiping his mouth with one hand and looking, concerned, after her.

The door opened up suddenly and Rose came through. "Hello everyone. Sorry I'm late." She greeted them as Cora rushed past her to go to her room.

Rose frowned and sat her coin purse down on the entry way table. "What happened?" She asked, looking towards Jack.

"I don't know." Jack shrugged. "One minute I was askin' her about school and the next she was running for her room."

"You probably touched a nerve somehow Boyo." Tommy sighed. "You know how sensitive she is."

"I don't know what I said that could've..." Jack started, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to her." Rose assured them all, walking down the hallway towards Cora's bedroom.

"Cora?" She called. "Cora, honey, it's Rose." She knocked on the little girl's door gently when she'd finally reached it but got no answer.

"Cora?" She called again, slowly cracking the door open just a bit.

Cora was laying beneath her covers, the lights all off, with only the shimmer of the full moon outside her window glittering into the little room.

"Cora honey?" Rose whispered softly, slowly approaching the bed and sitting down on the edge of it.

Cora shifted beneath the covers, tightly clutching something to her chest.

"Cora?" Rose asked again. Again there was silence. Rose sighed and placed a hand on what little of the curly brown locks were sticking up out of the blankets.

"Daddy used to walk me to school back home." A little voice suddenly replied to her, a twinge of great pain hidden in it.

Rose's heart shattered, as it did every time something like this happened. Once she was sure Cora had recovered from the loss of her family they were back to square one of calming her down and drying her constant tears of grief.

"Mommy picked out my dresses for me. They were always really pretty." Cora continued.

"Cora, honey, I..." Rose started to say.

"Then Daddy walked me to school on his way to work every morning." Cora kept saying, as if the memories that were tearing her apart might somehow heal the agony.

"Honey?" Rose asked.

"I miss them, Rose." Cora whimpered.

Rose sighed and lifted her little body up out of the blankets to sit on her lap as the little girl whimpered and sobbed.

"Oh sweetheart..." Rose whispered to her, rocking her gently. "It's gonna be okay."

"Daddy..." Cora whimpered. "I want Daddy to walk me to school..."

"Honey I know, I know." Rose sighed. "I'd make it happen for you if I could. I promise you I would."

"But you can't." Cora whimpered. "He's gone..."

Rose's heart cracked with every tear that rolled down Cora's sweet face.

Why did something so terrible have to happen to such an angel? Rose would never understand.

For now, all she could do was love her sweet Cora, hold her, and never let her go. Even if it wasn't the same to the sweet little girl, Rose would do everything she could to be as good as the mother she'd been grieving, and she knew that Jack would do the same.

It was just going to take time to help her get over everything. But whether that time was days, weeks, or even years, they couldn't be for certain.

...

"Here's her lunch, Jack." Rose told her husband, setting Cora's lunch pail down on the counter.

"Thanks, honey." Jack told her, hurriedly grabbing the lunch pail and kissing Rose as he struggled with his coat.

"Cora! Are you ready sweetheart?" Rose then called down the hallway.

"I guess so." Cora sighed, stepping out of her room wearing her nicest dress.

"Oh honey you look so pretty." Rose said as she came walking into the front room.

Tommy came behind her, ruffling her brown curls as he passed her to go into the kitchen for the morning paper on the counter.

"Doesn't Cora look pretty today, Tommy?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Beautiful." Tommy agreed, voice low. He didn't look to hot.

"What's the matter with you?" Jack asked him. "You look like you're on your last leg."

"I don't feel well." Tommy admitted, taking a shaky seat in his favorite chair out in the sitting room and opening up the newspaper.

"Well it wouldn't surprise me." Rose sighed, working at the dishes in the sink. "You were out till God knows when last night. You're probably on a hangover."

"No. I wasn't drinking last night. We went to dinner then staid out for awhile so Fabri could see the sights." Tommy assured her. "Then we came straight home. No drinking. So it obviously isn't a damned hangover."

Rose crossed the room and felt his forehead. "Well you don't have a fever." She said with a frown, confused.

Tommy got a horribly sick look on his face and shot up from his chair, face turning an almost green color.

"Tommy?" Rose called, worried for her friend as he rushed back down the hall to the bathroom. The sounds of his vomiting were quite audible.

"Yuck." Cora shook her head, a disgusted look crossing over her sweet face.

"He was feelin kinda off yesterday morning too." Jack mentioned, leaning back against the front door.

"I'll take him into the doctor later." Rose sighed. "I don't have rehearsal until six anyway." She kneeled and fixed the pin on the breast collar of Cora's dress before kissing her cheek then standing back up to kiss Jack.

"Hurry along now you two, or you'll be late." She told them with a warm smile.

"Come on Cora." Jack urged their little girl, taking one of her soft hands in his.

Cora followed him reluctantly and looked back at Rose for some encouragement.

"It's okay, honey. Have a good day!" Rose called to her from down the hallway. "We'll have a special dinner for you when you come home!"

Cora swallowed hard and turned back towards Jack, gripping his hand tightly as they headed towards the stairs.

TBC


	8. New School & Surprises

**Warning! Mpreg Ahead!**

 **...**

Cora clung tightly to Jack's hand as he walked her toward the school.

It was much bigger than the one she'd gone go back in England, and she was nervous.

"You've got quite a grip, huh best girl?" Jack chuckled merrily, giving her little hand a comforting squeeze with his own.

"Sorry Uncle Jack." Cora muttered, voice low.

"Hey, don't be sorry. I get it. It's pretty nerve racking starting school in a place so new. I've done it a few times before." Jack assured her.

"Really?" Cora asked, looking up at her.

"Yep. Before I lived up in Chippewa Falls we moved to several different places." Jack explained. "I started a new school at every one of 'em. It was rough, but hey, when you meet as many people as I have making friends is easy."

"Cora!" A little boy's voice called from across the school yard. "Over here!"

Cora looked away from Jack to see Peter standing by the tether ball pole with a few other kids her age. He was waving excitedly at her and hopping up and down in place with a bright smile.

Cora looked up at her new guardian for some encouragement, not knowing whether she should leave him or not.

Jack grinned. "Go on, Hun." He urged Cora. "Your little buddy's waitin for ya."

Cora took a deep breath and let go of Jack's hand.

"Have a good day, Best Girl." He told her, bending down and kissing her cheek. "I'll come get you at three."

Cora nodded and waved to Jack before walking towards the school yard where Peter waited anxiously for her.

Jack watched for a minute then turned around to leave once he was sure Cora was going to be okay. Quite honestly he was sure this going to school thing was going to be a lot harder and him and Rose than it would be on Cora.

...

Rose sat in the waiting room at the hospital, flipping through a women's fashion magazine to pass the time.

Tommy had fought her on the subject of seeing a doctor but Rose wouldn't hear of it, and of course she was the victor of that little spat. Rose always got what she wanted. It didn't matter who she was up against. Arguing was her specialty.

"Mrs. Dawson..." A soft feminine voice called from behind her.

Rose looked up from her magazine to see a little dark haired nurse looking at her from behind a mostly closed door, a worried expression on her face.

"Yes?" Rose asked, setting the magazine down. "What is it?"

The nurse gnawed at her lip, like she might be debated on how to break some sort of news to Rose.

"Um...The doctor would like to speak with you..." She finally managed. "If you don't mind, that is."

Rose jumped up from her seat immediately and rushed past the nurse down the long hospital hallway.

"Dr. Livingston!" She called when she saw their family Doctor walking into his office, a few different files in hand. He looked up immediately at the sound of his name being called in such a harsh matter.

"Oh...Mrs. Dawson. Hello there." He greeted her, seeming to be a little shaky. "Please come in. Have a seat. We have...much to discuss." He held the door open and Rose entered his office hurriedly.

"What's wrong with him?" She questioned once the doctor had shut the door behind them.

"Now Mrs. Dawson..." The doctor tried. "Please try not to get so upset..."

"Just tell me what's wrong with him, Doctor. He's my family. I need to know." Rose's gone grew sharp.

"I will..." The doctor assured her. "But if I do you must promise me to remain calm."

Rose bit her quivering lip and took a seat in front of the doctor's desk, giving a slow nod as she did so.

"Good..." The doctor sighed, sitting himself down as well. "Now, about Mr. Ryan..."

"Tommy." Rose corrected him.

"Right. About Tommy..." He continued, using a rag to wipe the sweat from his brow. It was growing hot, even though Summer was nearing its end. "He um...Well...The diagnosis is rather odd, Mrs. Dawson. Forgive me for being at such a loss for words."

"Please..." Rose begged. "Please just tell me what's wrong with him."

The doctor nodded. "I assure you Mrs. Dawson that id never try to fool you, or lie to you in any way."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rose questioned.

"First I need you to answer something for me..." The doctor told her. "Just to be certain."

"Doctor I..." Rose tried to protest.

"Has Mr. Ryan been...intimate with another man recently?" The doctor asked before she could object any further.

Rose fell silent. How could she reveal such a thing?

"Doctor what an absurd question!" Rose lashed out. "How dare you assume that...!"

"Mrs. Dawson..." The doctor stopped her. "You can tell me...I myself, have a um...a life partner."

Rose's anger started to slip away. "You do?" She asked.

"Yes." He nodded to her. "I understand. It's alright. Just tell me. Please."

Rose sighed. "Yes..." She admitted. "He's um...he's in a very committed relationship...They're even thinking about adopting soon."

The doctor nodded. "Well they may want to hold off on that for awhile." He said, fixing his glasses.

"What?" Rose asked, confused. "Why?"

The doctor gnawed his lip, as if not quite sure what to say to Rose.

"Well..." He finally managed. "Mr. Ryan is um...Well he's expecting."

Rose grew deathly quite. What has she just heard?

"Doctor what an absurd..." She started.

"Mrs. Dawson I assured you before that I would never lie to you or try to fool you in any way." He told her once more. "I promise every word I've uttered to you today has been the absolute truth."

"But that's impossible!" Rose fired back.

"No." He sighed. "Not impossible. It's just extremely rare."

Rose's jaw dropped and she fell back against her chair in disbelief.

"I haven't told him yet." The doctor admitted, twiddling his thumbs on top of the wooden desk. "I thought he might take the news better from you."

Rose still didn't speak a word. What could she say? How could she say it?

"We need to set a date for the cesarean as soon as possible." The doctor continued to speak, despite her silence. "He won't be able to deliver the child, after all. He can only conceive and carry."

Rose forced herself to move, closing her slacked jaw finally and looking up at the doctor in pure astonishment.

"How in the name of God is this possible?" She asked, voice barely a whisper.

The doctor sighed and shrugged. "Science has yet to explain it, mam." He replied. "It's simply a miracle of nature I suppose."

"Son of a bitch..." Rose muttered.

"For his sake, and for his reputation, It needs to be kept a secret for as long as possible." The doctor told her. "But I'm sure you know that already."

Rose nodded. "Yes..." She said. "I understand."

"Wonderful." The doctor sighed again. "Now, as for the delivery, I will preform the operation when the time comes. My staff won't breathe a word, I assure you."

"How can you be sure of that?" Rose asked sharply.

"Because I know these people well and I know which ones can be trusted." The doctor replied. "Now please Mrs. Dawson, go and calm your friend. Treat him to a pleasant afternoon. Do whatever you must to make him receive this news as well as he possibly can. The child's safety is at stake after all."

Rose swallowed hard. How was she supposed to tell Tommy he was pregnant?

TBC


	9. The Dawson's

"These are my friends, Cora." Peter introduced her to the group of children he was playing in the school yard with.

There was a little girl with hair the color of faded gold straw, and eyes bluer than the sea. She wore a frilly red dress with white hair ribbons and her cheeks were a rosy pink color.

"That's Jenny." Peter said, pointing to her, and that's her brother Caleb." He then pointed to a little boy with the same hair and eyes as Jenny that stood on his other side, dressed in overalls and a crisp clean white shirt.

"That's Lilly." Peter then told Cora, indicating a dark haired little girl next to Jenny with a lavender dress who's eyes were a beautiful dark brown. She had a lovely smile and Cora liked her immediately.

"And this is Finn." Peter ended, putting a hand on the shoulder of a smiling red haired boy with green eyes and freckles studding his pale cheeks. He wore a checkered shirt with leather suspenders and dark pants, and a little hat that looked like the one her Uncle Fabrizio wore.

"This is Cora, everyone." Peter introduced her. "She's gonna be our new friend now."

"Hi." Cora waved shyly to them.

"Hi Cora!" Lilly immediately greeted her, throwing her arms around her in a big hug.

"Yay! Another girl! Now we're even again with the boys!" She giggled while she hugged Cora.

"You have really pretty hair." Jenny told her, coming up behind her and admiring her brown curls.

"Thank you." Cora replied timidly while Lilly continued to hug her.

"Now we have enough people to have even teams for kickball." Caleb said with a smile at Cora.

"Hi there Cora, how do ye' do?" Finn greeted her in an obvious Irish accent, shaking her little hand with his own.

Cora smiled. She'd never had so many new friends so quickly before.

"Wanna play tether ball with us, Cora?" Peter asked her, grabbing one of her hands gently and making her turn towards him.

Cora's smile brightened and she nodded happily.

"Yay! Let's go!" Lilly cheered giddily, taking Cora's other arm and hurrying her over to the tether ball pole.

Uncle Jack was right. She was definitely going to like this school.

...

"Rose am I dyin?" Tommy asked when they finally got back to the apartment.

Rose turned quickly. "Of course not!" She replied quickly. "Why would you think that?"

"Well because you've been pamperin' me like a king ever since we left the Doc's office and I get the feelin' you've got a bit of bad news to pass along don't ya?" Tommy told her, hanging his coat up on the racket the door.

Rose sighed. "I um...no. I was just treating you to a nice day out for behaving for the doctor. That's all." She lied through her teeth.

"Oh so now I'm a child to you?" Tommy grumbled, lighting up a cigarette and placing it between his lips.

Rose gasped and smacked the thing from his mouth before stomping it out on the floor while Tommy watched, confused and shocked.

"What in God's name has gotten into you, Woman?" He asked, eyes wide once Rose's sudden fit had finally ended.

"No more of that!" Rose snapped at him. "Not in my house!"

"Rosie, do you need to lie down? Ye' look a little pale." Tommy said.

"No, Tommy, you need to get rid of these!" Rose replied sharply, grabbing his cigarettes from his shirt pocket and tossing them across the room.

Tommy's jaw went slack. He couldn't believe Rose's behavior. She'd never acted like this toward him before. Was it something he'd said?

"I uh...I think I'm gonna head down to the pub." He spoke, timidly after Rose's sudden anger spell had seemed to end.

"No no no!" Rose suddenly snapped again, grabbing him by the arm.

"Ack! What do ye' want from me Rosie!?" Tommy demanded. "I'm just goin for a beer."

"Tommy you can't!" Rose protested, holding him back from the door.

"Why the hell not?" Tommy demanded, starting to get a little angry himself.

"I...Because you..You're..." Rose tried.

"I'm what, Rosie?" Tommy asked, turning back to face her.

Rose sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Tommy...Sit down. We've gotta talk."

...

"Is Uncle Tommy okay?" Cora asked at dinner that night while she, Jack, and Rose sat at the dining room table by themselves.

Fabrizio had gone back to their bedroom to try and console his emasculated lover, and Tommy was sulking like he had been for the past few hours.

"He's just a little upset, honey." Rose told her, picking at her food with her fork guiltily.

"How come?" Cora asked, taking a big bite of her buttered bread.

"Don't worry about it, Cora." Jack replied. "We'll tell ya later okay?"

Cora nodded and finished off the bread and butter with another large bite. "More please." She then requested.

"Well well well, someone's appetite is certainly improving." Rose acknowledged with a small smile, reaching out and buttering another slice of bread for Cora.

"She had a good day at school." Jack said with a proud grin, ruffling Cora's curls.

"You did?" Rose asked, relieved that she had had fun. "Tell us about it, sweetie."

"I made a lot of new friends." Cora smiled up at them, taking a sip of her milk. "Four of them. And Peter was there too."

"Well that's wonderful, sweetie. I'm happy you're getting along with your classmates so quickly." Rose told her.

Cora smiled proudly and giggled when Jack tickled her chin.

"So when do we get to meet these little friends, huh Best Girl?" He asked her.

"I don't know?" Cora shrugged. "Can I have them over?"

"Well that'd be okay with me." Jack said, then turning to his wife. "What about you, Rose?"

"As long as their parents are alright with it I don't see why not." Rose smiled, filling Jack's coffee cup.

"Yay! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Cora cheered with glee, rocking back in her chair. Jack grabbed it and held her up right, laughing and nearly choking on his coffee.

"Whoa! Careful there Cora." He laughed. Cora laughed along with him and the infectious giggling soon got to Rose as well.

"Just another night at the Dawson place, huh family?" Jack asked when he finally managed to catch his breath again.

"It sure is, Jack." Rose agreed, still giggling a little.

Cora kept laughing and Jack raised his coffee mug. "To the Dawson's!" He said with a smile and a hint of laughter that still wouldn't leave him.

Rose giggled and she and Cora tapped their glasses to Jack's. "To the Dawson's!" They all declared together.

And for the first time since the sinking, Cora felt like she had a family again.

TBC


	10. Sleepover

"Jack, I'm home." Rose called as she came through the door the next Friday afternoon. "Sorry I'm late. Rehearsal ran a little long."

"That's alright, honey. You're just in time." Jack told her, hurrying over and kissing her before slipping on his boots and opening the door back up.

"I'm going to get Cora and her friends from school." He told her then. "Fabri took an extra shift at the factory today. Keep an eye on Mr. Sulker would ya?"

"I will." Rose sighed, shutting the door after Jack left before unbuttoning her coat and hanging it up by the entryway.

"Thomas Ryan..." She called then, walking down the hallway to the second bedroom.

"Leave me be." Came the muffled reply from behind the door.

"Don't you give me that. Open the door. You need to get out." Rose demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Are you mad?" Tommy answered. "I can't be seen like this!"

"Tommy..." Rose sighed. "You're only twelve weeks along. No one can tell."

"Even so." Tommy growled back.

"Fine." Rose threw her arms up in surrender. "If you wanna waste away in that bedroom then that's your own business. I just thought maybe you were stronger than this."

"Feckin' red headed women..." Tommy growled as the doorknob started to turn. "Always gotta get what they want..."

Rose smiled triumphantly when Tommy opened the door and stepped out.

"There. Are ye' happy now?" Tommy muttered.

"Very." Rose nodded, taking one of his hands and leading him down the hall.

"Where are we goin?" He asked, rubbing his puffy red eyes with the hand Rose wasn't currently attached to.

"We're going to get you some fresh air." Rose replied, opening the door up. "I need to go to the market and buy some things for dinner tonight and you're coming with me."

"The hell I am." Tommy protested, pulling back.

"The hell you are!" Rose fired back, yanking him forward and out the door. She could be very persuasive when she needed to be.

...

"Here we are guys." Jack smiled as he led the little group behind him to the front door of their apartment.

"Mr. Jack? Is this where you live?" Little Caleb asked.

"Sure is." Jack nodded, opening up the door and letting them all inside. "And I'm a lucky guy, I tell ya. Couldn't have done it without the missus."

"Do we get to meet Mrs. Jack too?" Lilly asked as the children all stepped into the house, looking around in wonder at everything.

"Uh huh." Jack replied with a smile, still swinging Cora's hand in his as the came through the door together. "She'll be home in a little while."

"I bet she's pretty." Jenny said with a smile, twirling around in a little circle and making her dress flow around her.

"She is." Cora confirmed with a smile, letting go of Jack's hand to join her friends.

"That's right." Jack added, digging a cigarette out of his pocket. "The most beautiful woman I've ever had the pleasure of looking at."

"That's romantic, Mr. Jack." Jenny cooed in awe.

Jack chuckled a little. "Well thanks, Jenny. And uh, you kids can just call me Jack." He told them all.

"Okay, Jack." Finn agreed with a nod, plopping down on the couch with the rest of the kids, who all giggled and chatted together over various innocent things.

Jack smiled and went to the kitchen for a quick drink. He was so relieved that Cora had friends, and good ones at that.

It was high time that she started having a happy life again.

...

"I love your friends, darling." Rose smiled at Cora later that night while she tucked her in.

The other children were all asleep in their blankets around the carpet in Cora's bedroom, a few of them snoring softly.

"Me too." Cora yawned sweetly, her little eyes half closed.

Rose smiled and stroked her curly hair, placing a kiss on the top of her little forehead.

"I love you too, honey." She whispered to her.

Cora smiled back at her. "I love you too...Mama." She told Rose.

Rose's eyes watered with tears and she kissed her sweet girl again, leaning down to hug her tightly.

"I love you too my angel." She told Cora.

Cora's little arms came to wrap around her tightly in a warm hug and Rose kissed a sweet little pudgy hand.

She hadn't birthed Cora, nor has she fed and burped her or changed her diapers or rocked her to sleep at night while she cried with colic.

But even so, she felt that Cora was her precious child, and that she was indeed her mother, without a hint of doubt.

...

"I write a'letter to Mama!" Fabrizio exclaimed happily to Jack as the men all lounged in the living room when Rose finally tip toes out of Cora's bedroom. "I tell her we are having a bambino! Prega il Signore! We are so blessed!"

"I guess blessed means somethin' different to us both." Tommy muttered, sulking back in his chair.

"Destino, Mi amore, why are you still so sad? We are incinta! You should be a'happy." Fabrizio said, more softly, taking one of Tommy's hands and holding it gently in his own.

"Leave him be, Fabri." Jack told his best friend. "He's still in shock."

"No, Fabri, you go on." Rose objected. "He needs to perk up a little anyway. I'm sick of him loafing around in his sorrow all the time."

"No one asked you, Rosie." Tommy growled at her.

"You should know by now that I don't care if I'm asked or not." Rose grinned back sassily, walking past him and snatching a hidden cigarette from his shirt pocket.

It seemed that Cora wasn't the only one who needed to be babysat for the time being.

TBC


	11. Mother Daughter Time

The weeks dragged on and Cora finally seemed to be showing signs of recovering from the traumatic loss of her parents.

She was happier now, and the nightmares she'd had before weren't happening as often anymore.

Cora had even started going over to her friend's homes to sleep over on several occasions, and to top it all off she proved to be very intelligent when it came to school.

After the first quarter of school ended, Cora was on the A honor roll, and by the time semester came around she made the principal's honors list.

Rose and Jack couldn't have been more thrilled. Their little angel's broken wing was finally starting to mend.

"Mama?" Cora asked Rose one morning, walking into the kitchen from her room, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Rose was getting ready to leave, putting on her coat and shoes.

"Yes honey? What is it?" She asked Cora, hurriedly pouring Jack a cup of coffee while he sat, reading the morning paper at the dining room table.

"Where ya goin?" Cora yawned, dragging her teddy bear along as she took her seat at the table.

"Oh I have play rehearsal again, sweetheart." Rose told her. "We only have eight weeks until the gala now and the directors been running us ragged." She fixed Cora a plate quickly as she hurried to get herself ready.

"You've been rehearsing that play for nearly almost a year, Rose." Jack said, sipping his coffee. "Are you ever gonna preform or not?"

"They always start rehearsals for the Spring Gala right after the last one so there's time to get it right." Rose explained. "We've been over this Jack. It's very important. There's no room for error. I mean, it will be on Broadway you know."

"I know, I know..." Jack nodded with a big yawn, taking one of Rose's hands and kissing it as she passed him by.

"Mama, can I come with you?" Cora asked hopefully.

Rose looked up from buttoning her coat. "Oh...Well...I don't know." She sighed.

"Pleeeease." Cora begged. "I did my homework already, and I already did all my chores."

Rose gnawed her lip in thought for a moment. "Well..." She sighed. "Alright. Hurry and get ready though, or we'll be late."

"Yay!" Cora giggled, hurrying to scarf down her breakfast.

"What's a'for breakfast?" Fabrizio asked, stretching his arms out over his head and yawning.

"Just eggs and sausage." Rose answered, fixing her hair in the mirror by the door.

Tommy came behind Fabrizio, one hand around a rounded belly, and a very tired look on his face.

Fabrizio pulled a chair out for his lover and helped him sit down, though Tommy didn't necessarily WANT the help.

"Get off me, ye' impregnating bastard..." He growled at Fabri, who obediently let him be and sat down at the table beside him.

"Rough night?" Jack asked, finishing off his coffee cup.

"It kicked the livin' daylights outa me all night." Tommy grumbled.

Rose brought Tommy a cup of coffee and a plate full of breakfast.

"Poor thing." She frowned, kissing his forehead.

"I don't need yer sympathy." He growled.

"Well..." Rose sighed. "I see the mood swings are still going strong."

"Piss off." Tommy muttered.

"I'll let that one slide." Rose frowned at him. "..but only because you're still with child."

"Pop the damn thing out of me. I don't care." Tommy replied, sipping his coffee slowly.

"Don't a'make yourself sick." Fabrizio warned him, trying to take one of his hands.

"Leave me be." Tommy snarled, shoving him away.

"Uncle Tommy?" Cora asked sweetly. "Can I feel the baby?"

"Why you'd wanna do that is beyond me, but sure. Go for it little gem." He replied, scooting back in his chair so Cora could have access to his belly.

"Hi baby. I'm ready for you to come out and play with me." Cora spoke to the little life inside Tommy.

"Yer not the only one..." Tommy groaned.

"You've only got about what?...Nine weeks left? You'll be alright." Jack told him.

"I'd like to see you carry a damned child for nine God forsaken months, Jackie." Tommy snarled at him.

"Cora, honey? Let Uncle Tommy eat his breakfast in peace." Rose said with a chuckle as she lifted her sweet adopted daughter out of her chair. "We've gotta go if we're gonna get to the theatre on time."

"Okay. Bye Baby!" Cora giggled, waving to Tommy's belly.

...

"You did really good at your play rehearsal, Mama." Cora smiled at Rose while they sipped tea together in a little cafe across from the theatre.

"Thank you, sweetie." Rose smiled back. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show. Hopefully it'll be even better when we actually preform for the audience."

Cora just smiled up at her and Rose grinned back over her tea cup.

"What is it?" She asked her, still smiling warmly.

"I just like spending time together." Cora told her.

Rose's heart melted. "Oh sweetie, I love spending time together too." She said, giving Cora's little hand a squeeze.

Cora smiled brighter. "My Mama told me I could call you Mama now." She said, sweetly. "She said you'd take good care of me."

Rose's face turned to a look of question. "What do you mean honey?" She asked Cora.

"Mama's angel." Cora told her. "She came when I was sleeping a long time ago. She said you could be my mama now until she can see me again. I told her I'd like that, cause I love you."

Rose was speechless. She'd never heard such a thing before.

"Cora?" She asked, closing her mouth that had fallen open in awe.

"Uh huh?" Cora replied, still smiling at her.

Rose wanted to ask her so many things. She wanted to ask how she'd been able to speak with the Angel, or just when she'd seen it, or if it had just been a dream, but she didn't. She didn't want to take the comforting wonder away from sweet Cora.

"Honey, I love you." She spoke finally. "What do you say we have ourselves a girls day? We'll go get you some new dresses for school."

Cora got up from her seat and walked over to Rose before latching onto her in a warm, loving hug.

"I love you, Mama." She told her.

TBC


	12. Grand Entrance

**Okay look, I warned About the Mpreg. If you don't wish to read it then just don't. No need for the hate. I did warn you before hand. Just GTF Out if you don't like it. I'm sick of the hate. Don't like. Don't read. Simple as that. Anymore hater reviews will be deleted just as the others have been. Thank You.**

"You look handsome, Uncle Jack." Cora said while she stood in the doorway of the master bedroom, watching Jack straighten his bow tie.

"Thanks, Best Girl, but I'll never be as pretty as you." He stepped away from the mirror and lifted Cora up, her new little dress flowing as he swung her into his arms.

"I love my new dress." She giggled, smoothing the ruffled spots on the smooth red material.

"Well it looks beautiful on you." Jack told her, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Maybe I'll sketch you in it after your Mom's play."

"As long as you don't try to sketch me again." Tommy groaned, wrapping his coat over his very pregnant belly to try and conceal it.

"Hey, that picture came out great." Jack protested, putting Cora down and grabbing his sketchbook off the dining room table to admire his drawing of Fabrizio kissing Tommy's baby bump, with both their hands laid gently across it. It was really quite beautiful.

"And that's just what I need isn't it, Jackie?" Tommy replied, voice full of sarcasm. "Evidence of me in THIS condition."

"Don't blame me." Jack told him. "Fabri's the one that wanted me to do it in the first place."

"Where is he anyway? We're gonna be late." Tommy sighed, buttoning up his long black coat and waddling over to the couch to sit down and rest while they waited for Fabrizio.

"He ran down to the market across the street for your cinnamon bread, remember?" Jack replied, placing a giggling Cora up onto his shoulders.

"He's still gone for that?" Tommy asked. "I sent him out for it a half hour ago."

The door opened up and Fabrizio came in, carrying a bag that smelled strongly of fresh cinnamon.

"I am sorry my destino." He apologized to Tommy. "The chef, he had to make a'more bread."

"It's fine. Are you dressed? We need to leave." Tommy replied, slowly standing from the couch with a groan. Getting around was a challenge now that he was nine months pregnant.

"I am a'ready." Fabrizio nodded, helping him up from his seat and placing a gentle kiss on his lips before taking one of Tommy's hands in his to walk out the door.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Cora cheered, hanging on tightly while Jack carried her on his shoulders out the front door, Tommy and Fabrizio following.

...

"Hello, my loving family." Rose crooned, hugging each one of them when they met her backstage.

"These are for you, mama." Cora said, holding out a bouquet of roses for Rose.

"Oh sweetheart! Thank you!" Rose exclaimed, excepting the roses gratefully and kissing Cora's forehead.

"They're roses just like you." Cora said with a smile.

"So they are." Rose nodded with a smile, taking in a breath of the flowers elegant scent. "Oh they're beautiful!"

"How about a little kiss for your Romeo, huh Juliette?" Jack asked with a sly grin, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh you..." Rose laughed, kissing his lips softly.

"Oi get a room would ye'." Tommy told them, cracking a tired grin. He didn't look very good, almost like he might be sick.

"You look like you need a room, Tommy." Rose replied, looking him up and down. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Rosie." He assured her. "Don't worry about little old me. You just focus on your show."

Rose frowned and turned to Fabrizio.

"Keep a good eye on him okay. I want that baby born in a nice safe hospital. Not a dirty, loud theatre." She told him.

"You can a'count on me, Rose." Fabrizio nodded, giving Tommy's hand a squeeze.

"Mrs. Dawson?" A voice called from behind them.

Jack stepped aside and let the young woman pass threw them.

"Five minutes to curtain, Mrs. Dawson." The woman told Rose. "Would you like me to lead your family to their seats?"

"Well I..." Rose started to answer.

"Oh no thanks, mam." Jack interrupted with a polite smile. "We can take care of ourselves. Good luck Rose." He kissed Rose's cheek. "Make it count." He told her before leading the others back out from behind the stage to their seats near the front. The families of the cast got some of the better seats, no matter what their class status was.

"Mama looks beautiful, Uncle Jack." Cora whispered in Jack's ear once the play finally began and Rose made her first appearance on stage.

"Yes she does." Jack agreed. "That um...that Romeo's pretty handsome too huh?" Jack glared towards the man holding his Rose up on the stage.

"It's a'only acting Jack." Fabrizio told him. "No need to be a'jealous."

"What do you think, Tommy? Does that guy look a little shifty to you?" Jack asked his Irish friend.

There was no answer.

"Tommy?" Jack asked again. Again no answer. Tommy was zoned out completely, holding his belly with both hands, his face scrunched up in pain and his eyes shut.

"Destino?" Fabrizio asked worriedly, laying a hand on Tommy's arm gently. "Mi Amore? What's a'wrong?"

"Tommy you okay?" Jack asked worriedly, taking his eyes away from the stage to check on his pal.

"What's wrong with Uncle Tommy?" Cora asked, yanking on Jack's sleeve curiously.

"I don't know honey." Jack answered frantically.

"Tommy?" Fabrizio asked again, when suddenly Tommy grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Fabri...The baby's coming." Tommy muttered through a few painful huffs for breath.

"Figlio di puttana!" Fabrizio cursed, standing up quickly in his seat.

"Now!?" Jack asked in utter shock and worry.

"Right now..." Tommy nodded, holding his belly in pain. "We need to go right now...Fabri help me..."

Fabrizio helped Tommy up and Jack stood at his other side, supporting him as well as they slowly walked down the row of seats to the open isle.

"Cora? Cora! Come here Hun." Jack called to his little adopted daughter, holding out a hand.

"But Uncle Jack, I wanna stay." Cora complained.

"Honey we can't. We gotta take Uncle Tommy to the doctor." Jack replied, voice frantic as he helped Tommy stand properly.

"But...But..." Cora protested.

"Cora!" A little voice called.

Cora turned to see Peter with his mother, sitting right up front and waving to her.

"Hang on..." Jack told Tommy and Fabrizio, letting Fabri hold Tommy up while he picked Cora up and rushed her down to the front row.

"Mrs. Cambridge? Could you watch Cora for me till Rose is finished?" He hurriedly asked Peter's mother, setting Cora down in front of her. "We've got an emergency and I've gotta leave right now."

"Well...I...I suppose so. Of course." Peter's mother replied, then turning to Cora. "Come Dear, sit with us. We'd love o have you." She told her with a gentle smile.

"Thank you!" Jack called as he ran back up to help Fabrizio and Tommy.

...

"How ya holdin' up?" Jack asked Tommy while Fabrizio wheeled him up to the front desk of the hospital.

"Fuck off..." Tommy grunted in agony, squeezing Fabrizio's hand tightly.

"Breathe, Amore, Breathe." Fabrizio instructed him.

"You fuck off too!" Tommy snarled at him.

"May I help you?" A nurse asked, voice a bit rude for their liking. She must have heard Tommy's foul language.

"We need to see Dr. Simms." Jack told her. "And we need to see him now. Right now. No delays. It's an emergency!"

"Well I never..." The nurse gasped at Jack's pushy behavior.

"Mr. Ryan?" A familiar voice suddenly called from down the hallway.

Jack and Fabrizio looked up to see Tommy's Doctor coming their way.

"Ah oh oww oww, Doc please get it out!" Tommy huffed and moaned in pain, rubbing his hands around his belly to try to lessen the pain from the contractions.

"Bring him this way, son." The doctor called o Fabrizio, waving him forward. "I'll get an operating room ready right away."

Fabrizio turned Tommy's chair and wheeled him down the hallway after the doctor. Jack turned to follow but was stopped by another nurse.

"I'm sorry sir but only the father of the child may accompany the expectant mother." She told him.

Jack sighed and ran a hand over his face. He really wasn't in the mood to argue right now.

...

"Mama! Mama!" Cora shouted, running through the back stage crowds to Rose, who was standing with the director, Peter's father, and the mayor of the city.

"Cora?" Rose asked, turning when the little girl grabbed hold of her in a sudden tight hug.

"Mama we gotta go quick." Cora told her.

"Go?" Rose asked. "Go where, honey? What's wrong? Where's your father and your uncles?"

"The baby wants to come out now." Cora said, sounding worried. "Uncle Jack and Uncle Fabri took Uncle Tommy to the doctor so he could help get the baby out of his belly."

"Oh my!" Rose exclaimed, turning back to the Mayor and Mr. Cambridge. "I'm so sorry but I have to leave right away!" She told them before snatching Cora up into her arms and hurrying out the back door of the theatre to hail a cab.

They reached the hospital in a matter of minutes and found Jack waiting outside the delivery room in the maternity ward, flipping through one of the catalogues on the bench next to his seat.

"Jack!" Rose called as she and Cora approached him.

Jack sat his catalogue down and stood up to hug Rose.

"Rose I'm so sorry..." He apologized, kissing her. "I didn't mean to miss your show."

"No no no, don't be sorry." Rose told him, cupping his face gently and tenderly with both hands. "I'm glad you went with them. They needed you."

"Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack!" Cora jumped up and down, tugging on his shirt. "Where's the baby!? Is it a girl!? What's her name?"

"The baby's not here yet, Best Girl." Jack told her, bending down and lifting her up. "It's gonna be a little while longer."

"How much longer?" Cora asked, face growing disappointed.

"I'm not sure, Hun." Jack sighed. "I'm just not sure."

...

"Gloria a Dio Onnipotente!"

Jack, Rose, and Cora were awoken when Fabrizio finally burst out of the delivery room, jumping and yelling praise to God in excitement.

"Jesus Fabri..." Jack yawned, stretching out his arms.

"It's a Boy, Jack! It's a boy!" Fabri shouted. "Grazie Signore onnipotente! It's a Boy! I'm A Father!"

Rose smiled and held onto Jack's arm tightly. "Congratulations Fabri." She smiled at their friend.

"How's Tommy doin?" Jack asked him.

"Bellissimo!" Fabrizio replied happily, picking Cora up and kissing her cheek with joy. "They are both a'perfect! Come! Come see! Everyone you come with me now!"

Fabrizio went rushing back through the doors of the delivery room hall and Jack and Rose stood to follow him.

"Don't run Fabri! You'll fall!" Jack called out to his friend. Fabrizio couldn't here him though. He was far to excited to listen.

...

"He's so squishy looking." Cora said, staring down into the little pink newborn's tiny face while he laid wrapped in a blue blanket in Tommy's tired arms.

"Cora..." Rose warned her. "Be nice."

"Aw she's alright Rose." Tommy spoke up, voice quiet and weak.

"Took a lot out of ya did it?" Jack chuckled, laying a hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"Lost a lot of blood, Boyo." Tommy answered. "Tired as hell."

"Well you just rest." Rose told him, fluffing up his pillow for him a little. "You deserve it for all that hard work."

"It was worth it." Tommy smiled down at his sweet little bundle, who was sleeping peacefully like a little angel.

"I wanna dress him up." Cora smiled. "Can I Uncle Tommy?"

Tommy managed a slight chuckle. "No little gem." He told her. "I'm afraid we need to let him snooze a little."

"He's beautiful, Tommy. You did a wonderful job." Rose told him.

"Thank ye', Rosie." Tommy replied weakly.

"What's his name?" Cora asked them, peering curiously into the blankets.

"Well..." Tommy answered. "We decided since he decided to make his debut at the show tonight we'd name him after it."

"His name is Romeo." Fabrizio beamed proudly, sitting on the edge of the bed and gazing down at his new son.

"Romeo Patrick De Rossi Ryan." Tommy muttered, eyes starting to close.

Cora looked at the new baby, who's eyes at the same time started to open up.

"Hi baby." She greeted him when one blue eye cracked open all the way. "I'm Cora. We're gonna be best friends now okay?"

TBC


	13. Bringing Home Baby

"Careful, Fabri. Support his head..." Tommy warned Fabrizio as they came through the door of the apartment with baby Romeo. It was the first day bringing him home and Tommy was extremely over protective.

"Is okay, I've a'got him." Fabrizio replied, carefully cradling their little son in his arms.

The baby cooed and grunted up at him, moving his little arms up and around curiously.

"Sweet bambino..." Fabrizio smiled. "Tu sei il nostro tutto dolce angelo."

"The baby's here! The baby's here!" Cora jumped with glee when Tommy and Fabri came through the door with baby Romi, as they called him for short.

"Tommy here, come sit down. You must be horribly sore." Rose frown sympathetically, taking his arm and leading him to the couch while Fabrizio carried their baby inside.

"Thank ye', Rosie." Tommy replied, voice low as he declined back on the couch to relax. One hand grabbed his lower belly and he winced.

"Let's see it." Jack grinned.

"You don't wanna." Tommy assured him.

"Aw come on. Show off that battle scar. I bet it's neat lookin." Jack pleaded.

Tommy sighed and lifted his shirt little bit to reveal the large painful looking cesarean scar.

"Jesus, Tommy. Couldn't you have just pushed that kid out instead?" Jack asked.

"Yes Jackie. Cause I've got the right equipment for that don't I?" Tommy replied with heavy sarcasm.

"Well hey, you weren't supposed to be able to get knocked up in the first place, but look at there." Jack chuckled then, indicating to the tiny baby who Fabrizio was now feeding a bottle.

"Can I hold him, Uncle Fabri?" Cora asked, pulling on Fabrizio's sleeve.

"Sì la mia principessa." Fabrizio nodded. "Sit down and I'a give him to you."

Cora hurried to the couch and took a seat next to Tommy as Fabrizio lowered little Romeo down into her arms carefully.

"Make sure to support his head, little gem." Tommy told her. "He can't do it himself yet."

Cora shifted her arm a little so that she could better support his tiny head.

Romeo was a very pretty baby. He had little tufts of strawberry blonde hair sticking up off his little head, warm soft skin, pretty dark eyes like his father, and a cute little button nose with sweet tiny ears.

"He looks like his mommy doesn't he?" Rose smiled, sitting on the other side of Cora to peer down at the baby.

"With his father's eyes." Tommy smiled up at Fabrizio.

"I love him." Cora giggled happily, kissing Romi's little forehead and getting a little noise out of him in return.

"Well I'm sure he feels the same." Tommy replied, fixing the baby's little socks so that his feet weren't getting to cold.

"Cora's gonna be a good babysitter. Aren't you, Cora?" Jack smiled at his girl.

"Yep." Cora nodded. "I'm gonna dress him up and play with him, and feed him..."

"You know you've gotta change him too. Don't forget about that." Tommy chuckled.

Cora shook her head quickly. "No, mama can do that part." She said.

They all shared a laugh at that and Jack grabbed his sketch book to get a picture down of Cora with the baby.

"He's so small." Cora commented, looking the baby over then giggling when he reached a tiny hand up. "He's got little fingers."

"He was pretty small." Tommy said. "Six pounds and ten ounces. Doc says its cause he was just a wee bit early."

"Uncle Jack are you drawin' me?" Cora asked, noticing Jack fiddling around with his sketchbook.

"Sure am." Jack nodded, focusing on his work. "Try to keep still, Best Girl. I'll be finished in just a few minutes."

Little Romeo made a noise at Cora and she looked down into his little dark eyes.

"That's perfect!" Jack smiled, carefully shading Cora's hair in with his pencil.

Cora giggled and watched little Romi wiggle his feet around and reach with his tiny hands.

"I think he likes me." She said with a smile.

"Seems to." Tommy agreed.

"Amore. He loves his cugino." Fabrizio agreed, reaching a hand down and letting little Romeo grabbed his finger in a tiny hand.

Cora giggled and grinned happily down at the baby. She loved him too. Very much.

...

"He's really cute." Cora told her friends at school a few days later. "He's really small and his fingers and toes are so tiny."

"My mother had a baby last year." Jenny said, and Caleb nodded along with his sister. "She was really pretty. I love babies."

"Yeah but they really stink sometimes." Finn laughed, making the other children laugh as well.

"He does but it's okay cause once he gets changed it doesn't stink anymore." Cora assured them.

"And his name is really Romeo?" Lilly asked. "That's so romantic. Will they name their next baby Juliet?"

Cora shrugged. "Maybe. I hope so." She said, taking a big bite out of her sandwich.

"He sounds great, Cora." Peter told her. "I'm glad you're a big cousin now. That's really exciting."

"You should all come see him one day." Cora said. "Or maybe I could bring him to show and tell!"

"Yeah! That'd be great Cora!" Jenny agreed.

"Then everybody could see him." Peter said, giving an approving nod and smile.

"I'll ask teacher after lunch." Cora assured them, finishing off the last of her sandwich. Of course she'd have to get her uncles to agree as well. That task might not be as easy.

"Hush piccolo angelo non piangere. Andando di papà cantare una ninna nanna..." Fabrizio whispered while rocking baby Romi in his arms and slowly strolling around he and Tommy's bedroom.

"That a lullaby?" Tommy asked.

"Yes." Fabri nodded softly. "Mama used to a'sing to me back home."

He crossed the room to the bed and gently laid the little infant, who was still refusing to close his little eyes, down next to Tommy. He then climbed up into bed next to them both.

"Romi, you need to go to sleep." Tommy whispered to their wide eyed baby, who was happily sucking on his pacifier and watching his mother with curious dark eyes.

"Is okay, I stay awake with him" Fabrizio assured his lover, letting Romeo grip one of his fingers again with his little hand.

"You staid awake last night." Tommy reminded him.

"Mia amata destino, you need to rest. I will a'stay awake." Fabrizio told him, leaning over for a kiss.

The bedroom door then creaked slowly open and a little face peaked in through the crack.

"Cora?" Tommy asked. "Everything alright?"

"I gotta ask you something." Cora replied.

"Well ask away." Tommy told her. "And come on in. Ye' don't have to stay out there. We're decent. It's alright."

Cora opened the door up and came into the room.

"Can I take Romi to show and tell tomorrow?" Cora asked.

Tommy looked to Fabrizio who chuckled and Tommy had to crack a little laugh as well.

"What?" Cora asked.

"Oh Little Gem, how innocent ye' are. It's quite refreshin' ain't it Fabri?"

Cora frowned and her little eyes grew wet with tears. She'd had her heart set on this.

Tommy looked from Fabri to little Cora and once he saw the tears forming in his little gem's eyes he couldn't deny her anything.

"Aw Little Gem, ye' know I'm a sucker for those big brown eyes 'a yers." He said, looking back down when Romi made a little noise.

"So...can I take him?" Cora asked again with a sniffle.

"Not to a'school, Amore." Fabrizio told her.

"But we can bring him up when ye' need him for yer little show and tell. Can't we Fabri?" Tommy said. Fabrizio nodded in agreement.

Cora grinned triumphantly. Shedding a few tears was one way to keep her uncles under her sweet little thumb.

...

"Sweet dreams, darling." Rose smiled and kissed Cora's forehead gently after tucking her in.

"Mama?" Cora asked before Rose could walk away.

"Yes honey?" Rose replied, sitting back down on the edge of her bed.

"It'd be fun to have two babies around the house wouldn't it?" Cora asked her with a smile.

"What?" Rose asked in confusion. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I wrote a letter to the stork for you and Uncle Jack." Cora told her. "Can I send it tomorrow? I'd like a baby sister very much."

Rose nearly choked on her own breath. "Um...darling..." She tried to explain. "I don't think now is the best time for..."

"Please Mama." Cora pleaded. "I'd be a really good big sister. I'd even help change the stinky diapers."

"I'm sure you would honey." Rose assured her, stroking her hair. "But for now, we need to focus on caring for little Romi. He's so tiny and he needs us all so much. Understand?"

Cora nodded sadly and Rose kissed her forehead again.

"But hey, don't you worry. Uncle Jack and I are going to have our own little ones one day." She assured her.

"Really?" Cora asked hopefully.

"I promise." Rose nodded. "It's just going to have to wait for a little while, okay?"

"Okay Mama." Cora agreed with a yawn.

"There's my sweet girl." Rose smiled, standing back up

From the bed. "Good night sweetheart."

"Goodnight." Cora replied before laying her head down and closing her little eyes.

TBC


End file.
